Kurogane's Punishment
by ScrollPirate
Summary: In a strange world Kurogane's attitude suddenly changes. He angers Yuko and now she's given him a punishment. For the next few worlds they must pick up a woman to travel with them for payback. Ain't revenge sweet? Ronin Warriors x Saiyuki x TRC
1. Prologue

Kurogane's Punishment  
Nikki Kino  
Prologue  
A Random Happenstance

Fields of flowers bloomed over the horizon in front of Syaoran, Sakura, Fai, Kurogane, and Mokona. With the deep red-purple sky due to evening approaching, the view was almost... magical. The only thing missing was life other than the plants. There were no homes, no livestock, no birds, not even any bees – surprising for the vast amount of flowers there were. As far as the eye could see in any direction, all they could see were flowers in every shape and form. And worse yet, there was no road to be seen. The place would have been, if not for the magical feeling in the air, very boring and almost depressing.  
"Mokona?" Syaoran asked. Mokona looked confused and jumped up into the air. "Do you see anything?"  
"All I see is flowers! Lots and lots of pretty flowers! But..."  
"But what?" Kurogane asked. After a few seconds and no answer he seemed to change. His eyesdarkened unnaturally and he shouted, "But what? Tell us you damn pork-bun!" No one suspected anything was wrong yet.  
"They don't really seem... real, I don't think," Mokona answered slowly. Sakura, from her place on the ground admiring the flowers, looked up startled. Fai frowned understandingly as if he'd felt they were unreal also.  
"Do you sense a feather?" Syaoran asked. Mokona came back down to land on Kurogane's head and shook its head.  
"Ooohhhh! Mokona's not sure! Lots of magic in this world. There's a strong magic sourse, but Mokona doesn't think it's that of a feather. It may be but Mokona's not sure." Syaoran sighed and sat down beside Sakura to admire the flowers, even if they weren't real, as Mokona jumped off Kurogane's head as he began to swat at it. Fai started laughing as he caught the flying creature.  
Kurogane, however, turned to Mokona, anger clearly showing on his face. He snatched the creature as he began fuming. "Dammit! You are completely useless! You've dropped us off in the middle of nowhere again! Let me talk to that damn Witch, Now!"  
"Now, now," Fai chided, slightly irritated at Kurogane's misplaced anger. "Be nice. Mokona is helping us get to where we we want to go."  
"How is that? After all the worlds we've been to we haven't once landed on either yours or mine! We landed in the kid's world once but even that turned out to be a world made up of the Princess's memories!" Turning to Mokona he demanded again, "Get me that damn witch!" Mokona looked to Fai and he just nodded in mock defeated agreement. Mokona opened it's mouth and projected the Dementional Witch, Yuko's image. Her hair was up and she was dressed in an evening gown. Watanuki was standing behind her with a look on his face clearly stating that he just wanted to go home.  
"Ah, Mokona. To what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked with a smile on her face that caused Kurogane to wonder if it was a sneer of if she was really justsmiling because she could.  
"TELL ME WHY I HAVEN'T RETURNED TO MY WORLD YET!" he demanded.  
Yuko chuckled, "Do you think that I conrol what world you go to? I told you from the beginning that whatever world you end up in next may not be the one you ope or think that it will be, did I not?"  
"All you damn females are the same!" Kurogane swore as he remembered Princess Tomoyo selfishly forcing him away.  
"Now, Kuro-puu, you shouldn't be so rude," Fai informed with a giggle in his voice, but his eyes seemed to speak of worry. something was wrong.  
"DON'T CALL ME THAT! IT's true! They're all selfish and only care about what's best for them, and..."  
"Kurogane-san?" Syaoran asked. He realized what Fai had. Something was wrong with Kurogane. "What are you talking about? What's wrong."  
"I'm sorry..." Sakura whispered looking down. They were both still kneeling in the flowers, however Syaoran now standing on one leg, the other kneeling. "She should have been more careful with her feathers!" he scoffed.  
"It was NOT her fault!" Syaoran began to verbally fight back. Fai moved to stand between the duo and the ninja.  
Yuko cut in. "Let me remind you of this, I was not the one who sent you on this journey. I merely gave you a method of transportation, which you chose to take."  
"I had no choice!" Kurogane argued back. Yuko laughed as she shook her head.  
"You had a choice. The choice to stay in my world, or to venture on to other worlds. You chose the latter, to venture on to other worlds in order to find your own. You made up your own mind." Kurogane's eyes flared as he wished for his Ginryu to slice down the image in front of him.  
"When I find you, you witch, I will kill you..." Kurogane promised.  
"Idle treats do not faze me, sword man," Yuko informed amused, almost looking bored. Watanuki in the background looked in horror at Yuko, as if worried that she would be killed right then.  
"It is NOT an idle threat! I WILL find you and get my Ginryu back! When I get it back you will be the first one I destry with it, no matter what Princess Tomoyo might say!"  
Please, calm down Kurogane-san," Sakura pleaded standing up. He turned around and flashed his angry eyes on her. Syaoran stood up next to her protectively and glared back and Kurogane.  
"Stop it!" Syaoran demanded. Whirling rowards Syaoran Kruogane began to march and draw out his sword. Syaoran pulled Sakura to her feet and stepped in front of her. "Stay behind me Princess." Before Kurogane could get any closer Fai stopped him by stepping midway between Syaoran and the angry swordsman.  
"Calm down," he demanded.  
"Yes, do calm down. You're starting to annoy me," Yuko agreed.  
"GOOD!" he yelled.  
"Kurogane-sama, it's rude to yell at women like this," Fai said, face clearly showing disapproval.  
"Yes. If you keep it up I will show you what living with women can be like – besides her Highness Sakura, of course."  
"Is that a threat, witch?" Kurogane asked amused. She tilted her head to the right with an odd smile on her face.  
"Not anymore..." Fai scoffed as he lightly shoved Kurogane away from Syaoran and Sakura.  
"Great job, Kuro-chan," he commented sarcastically.  
"Yes, you did a great job, dear Kuro-chan," Yuko agreed smiling like a sly fox. There was something else in her smile that none could quite place, but before they could really try to pin that something else down, she continued, "For the next two worlds you visit you will have to pick up one female and she will travel with you throughout the different dimentions. And yes, they must choose to travel with you. They may bring a compainion with them if they so much as choose to do so. Got all that Mokona?" She asked as she directed the last part towards the white, fluffy one whom smiled brightly.  
"You bet!" Mokona chirped.  
"You're just making all of us suffer now! And won't they have to pay a price?"  
"Well, of course they'll have to pay a price. And, you three? Do any of you mind?" Yuko asked directing her attention towards Fai, Sakura, and Syaoran.  
"Of course not," Fai replaied with a slight bow. "I think it's a good idea. Princess Sakura would have more women to talk to," Syaoran answered. Sakura nodded with a smile,  
"I don't mind."  
"Well, thank you Kurogane. You've been very helpful. It was QUITE nice to converse with you all again. Now, if you don't mind, I have an important date that I must attend and I'm already going to be late. Goodbye everyone. Until next time," Nuko nodded through the image to the four peopl on the other side, and then the image blinked out of sight as the 'call' ended. Kurogane turned and glared and the other three. His eyes suddenly seemed to lighten and he frowned, as if confused. Fai and Syaoran both relaxed their shoulders but both seemed confused also.  
"Well, there's no feather in this world!" Mokona suddenly seemed to decide. "Lets move on!" Before anyone could say anything the wind picked up and the entire group was surrounded. They were sucked into Mokona's mouth as they transported to another wourld where they would have to pick up a new friend or two...

Authors Note:  
1. The storyline takes place after before Recort/Rekord. (I INSERTED THIS WORLD IN BETWEEN RECOURT AND ACID-RAIN TOKYO because it's as far as you can go in Tsubasa without having the storyline totally changed on you - I hate the TV Series. I didn't use TV series. - I make this point because I've already been told that I'm using the TV series storyline. Grr.)  
2. I don't know what Mokona is (boy or girl) so I (Lovingly) refer to Mokona as "it". I'm sorry if the prologue sucks – it sucks to me. But I couldn't really figure out a way to make the storyline work out besides this way so get over it. It WILL be explained so don't flame me about OOC-ness. I try to keep that to a minimum except for Kurogane in this chapter.  
3. Sorry Yaoi fans, better luck on another story.  
4. Oh yeah. This story is a mary-sue. Haters, forgive and forget, or get lost. :)


	2. A New World of Ronins!

Kurogane's Punishment  
Nikki Kino

Chapter One  
A New World... Ronins!

_ Darkness. As far as the eye could see - or not see in this case. There was nothing to see for miles. He closed then opened his eyes, but quickly closed them and reopened them again. He found little difference, if none at all. Looking down at his hands he found that he could see them, bright as day, but there was darkness all around.  
No... that wasn't the right word. Blackness. It was as if the place he was in was devoid of everything, except for him. Syaoran bent down to touch the surface of the ground, in hopes of learning something about the place, but the furrow in his brow deepened by what he discovered. The ground was as hard and strong as granite but at the same time as soft and squishy as mud. It was utterly confusing to him. He couldn't even see it, but he could feel it. Syaoran decided to walk and see where that would lead him, and in confusion he stared back down at his hands and arms, idly wondering how he could see himself.  
"Princess Sakura!" he decidedly called out after a pause. The Land of Devoid, as his mind chose to think of it, seemed to suck up his voice as if it was angry at the sound. His voice carried only so far then it just disappeared as if he'd never called out. It didn't disappear like a voice does in a stuffy room, for by all means his voice should have echoed for what seemed miles – at least, that's the damn, echoing feeling Syaoran felt in this place, but it didn't. He stopped moving altogether and decided to just listen. He strained his ears and closed his eyes to block out the sight of himself in hopes of strengthening his hearing. He strained his ears harder as he fell to his knees - and landed on the granite hard, squishy mud - and tried to hear for anything while trying to ignore the impossibility of the ground beneath him.  
His ears pricked as did the hairs on the back of his neck. He wasn't positive he could hear anything but he knew he could sense it. Turning in all directions with eyes opened he still couldn't see anything. Closing his eyes and opening his senses he tried to find whatever had sent his brain on red alert, but failed. After a few seconds he stopped. 'This is getting me nowhere!' Syaoran thought. 'I've got to calm down and listen.' So again Syaoran opened his ears trying to pinpoint that "sound" or whatever it was. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as his ears pricked again. A sound? He still wasn't sure. Instead of trying to find it, this time, he stood up and continued to listen. At first that not-sound was so nonexistent that even a dog wouldn't have detected it. But as a minute went by it began to get louder. Not as if someone was turning the nobs on a radio, but as if it was beginning to echo - and it still wasn't able to be defined as a sound. Syaoran still couldn't tell if he was hearing it or just paranoid.  
After a few minutes though he could definitely tell that it was a sound. And even more, Syaoran knew what it was. Laughter. Someone was laughing. It was a clear lower tenor-pitched laughter that caused a chill to run through his entire being. Opening his eyes, he expected the sound to disappear as it did the first time – even though he didn't know what it was the first time, but instead it seemed to get louder. Syaoran turned around and around, searching for the direction from which the sound was coming from, but he couldn't pinpoint it. He couldn't find it! Where was it coming from? Who was laughing? His heart began to race at the mystery. Was this person an enemy? Most likely. Normal people don't laugh like that, especially those close to a person. The laughter continued to get louder as Syaoran listened, but the more it got louder, the more Syaoran didn't want to hear it. He covered his ears in an attempt to block the sound, but the sound echoed from everywhere in the Land of Devoid.  
"WHO ARE YOU? SHOW YOURSELF!" Syaoran shouted. From out of his peripheral vision an image slowly seemed to appear. He seemed to glow and if there had been anything other than blackness behind him, Syaoran was positive he would be seeing something through the man as he seemed to be semi-translucent, as though he were a ghost. The sight of the man caused Syaoran to intake a sharp breath.  
"Syaoran..." A deep feeling in the pit of his stomach grew to an ache. "Who am I? How could you forget me? How could you? That hurts... It really hurts me, my dear, dear son..."  
"No," Syaoran shook his head with anger and shock on his face.  
The kind eyes of Fujitaka seemed to sink into their sockets as his face broke into hurt. A hurt that hid laughter behind it. "Syaoran... I've missed you so much... and that's all you have to say to me? You left me, forgotten me, for some princess who's all but forgotten you..."  
"I don't know who you are, but you are not my father," Syaoran angrily informed. "Quit slandering his memory! The man I knew would NEVER say something like that! He would have wanted me to remember him, but know that the dead cannot be brought back to life. He would have wanted me to know that he loved me, but that I should continue on with my life. He would never have regretted me moving on with Princess Sakura to save her life! Even though she doesn't know who I was to her, she knows who I am now, and that's all that I can ask for! Leave me, and quit slandering him!" Syaoran seethed with anger and reached for the sword at his side, only to remember it was with Mokona.  
Fujitaka's kind, hurt face seemed to twist with malice and twisted humor and he began to laugh. The same laughter he'd thought he'd heard earlier. The laughter began to rise and get louder and louder. His image was slowly fading as the laughter rose in volume. Soon Syaoran was again covering his ears and instinctively closing his yes.  
"STOP IT!" He demanded.  
_  
"Syaoran-kun!" Sakura asked. Syaoran awoke with a start. He suddenly seemed to realize it was just a dream. It wasn't real. His heart rate was above normal and his forehead had a thick sheen of sweat across it. His eyes seemed to find the Princess's. "Syaoran-kun, what's wrong?" she asked. Her eyes were full of fear, and he guessed that his own were also. The image of his foster-father with that twisted smile and awkwardly-evil laughter still penetrated his mind's eye. He'd known that the man in his dream was an illusion, or at least someone else, but it still worried him... and his princess.  
"Ah, yes Princess. I'm alright." A look of disappointment muddled her flawless face. "I mean, I did have a bad dream, but it's gone now."  
"Do you want to talk about it?" Sakura asked in earnest concern. Syaoran longed to say no but knew that it would only upset her more so he summed it up as best as he could remember.  
"A man was imitating my father. He blamed me for leaving him behind and forgetting him." Kurogane sat behind him and listened to further details while Fai was off finding food. "My father has been dead for awhile and I've never felt any guilt about him being dead, or me moving on. He was such a kind man. He was strong, supportive, wise, and very loving. He took me of the streets even when I couldn't remember how I'd gotten there." Syaoran's eyes almost seemed to glaze over as he reminisced, but then remembered he was talking about his dream and returned to the subject, "At one point I demanded to know who he really was because he couldn't be my father and he started to laugh and disappeared." Sakura's eyes furrowed in worry. "Don't worry, your Highness. It was just a dream. Just a bad dream."  
"Ah, poor Syaoran-kun had a bad dream?" Fai asked entering the clearing with two women and a man. One woman had black hair, the other red. The man had black hair.  
"Hey, my name's Ryo. Your friend here told us that you guys aren't from around here and got lost. Mia here," he gestured to the red-head, "owns a place nearby and you're welcome to stay if you'd like."  
"That is, unless you don't like company. My house gets many visitors lately," Mia laughed. Syaoran looked to Sakura whom nodded with a smile. Kurogane grunted a yes.  
"Why not. Thank you for your hospitality." Fai smiled.  
"No problem dude. As I said, my name is Ryo, Ryo Sanada. This lovely lady is my wife, Adrianna. And that's Mia Koji."  
"My name is Syaoran. This is Princess Sakura, Kurogane, and you've met Fai I believe."  
"Princess?" Adrianna asked with an eyebrow raised as she analyzed what Syaoran had said exactly.  
"As we said, we aren't exactly from around here," Fai smiled.  
"Yeah. He's entertaining," Adrianna commented as Fai pushed past the Princess comment.  
"Well, I do enjoy making people smile!" Fai laughed lightly. Kurogane rolled his eyes annoyed. Syaoran and Sakura stood up.  
"We kindly accept your invitation. Thank you," Syaoran bowed.  
"Oh, no problem!" Mia waved lightly, "We have lots of guests staying with us currently."  
"Alright then, lets head back to Mia's place," Ryo held an arm out as a gesture to follow him in the direction his arm was leading.  
"Well, lets not sit on the ground all day. Come, you all look hungry!" Mia exclaimed.  
"Thank you very much," Sakura smiled brightly. Syaoran smiled at the warmth flowing from her.  
"Nice to meet you all," Ryo smiled as they walked. "So, why are you visiting out here? Usually tourists like to see Mount Fuji, or Kyoto, or Tokyo. Out here you can easily get lost. Then again you've probably figured that out already." He offered a cheesy smile.  
"Well, we're actually searching for something," Syaoran answered.  
"Like what?"  
"An artifact. I'm an archaeologist and there's supposed to be an artifact around this area." Their three patrons furrowed their eyes.  
"Really, what does it look like?" Mia asked out of curiosity. Kurogane caught something else she tried hiding in her voice, worry.  
"It's a certain feather," Syaoran replied. The three relaxed, but Mia seemed confused.  
"Well, most artifacts around here are a thousand years old and in a museum, college collection, or someone's personal possession."  
"Such as yours?" Kurogane inferred.  
"Yes, I'm a collector of sorts," Mia smiled.  
"Sweet," Fai commented," I'd like to see your collection. Old things interest me. The only artifact that we want, however, is that darn feather thing." Mia continued smiling, glad to know they weren't after anything from her place - whether it belonged to her or her inhabitants.

***  
Back at Koji Manor Ryo led them each to their own room. Once in private Mokona snuck out of Syaoran's cloak.  
"Are you feeling any better, Syaoran-kun?" Mokona asked.  
"Yes, I'm fine Mokona." The small, furry creature frowned.  
"I can tell when you're sad. I wish that you would be happy. When you're sad then so is Sakura-chan!" Syaoran halted movement for a moment then continued across the room.  
"I understand," he replied with a smile, "I'll try to be happier from now on." Mokona hopped on his shoulder.  
"Not just for Sakura-chan. But for Kuro-chii, and Fai-san, and Mokona too. We love you too. Even if Kuro-chii pretends not to care!"  
"I know. I love you all too, Mokona." A knock at the door had Mokona diving for Syaoran's bag.  
"Yes?" Ryo opened the door and stood there in the doorway.  
"Some of my buddies are here and I was wondering if you'd like to meet them?"  
"Sure," Syaoran smiled.  
Syaoran followed Ryo down the stairs and was assaulted by the onslaught of sound coming from the dining table in the middle of the room.  
"RINNA! IT'S BEEN, LIKE, FOREVER!" A blond haired woman wearing a green tube top and matching green shorts declared.  
"Something in my says it ain't been nearly long enough, Renae," Adrianna replied.  
"What? How rude! Did you hear that Zara?"  
"Why yes I did! What would you do if we never came back to visit? Huh? Huh?" Zara, the silver-blond haired female asked as she shoved a finger into Adrianna's stomach.  
"Live in peace and quiet!" Adrianna slapped Zara's hand away.  
"Ah, but do you honestly think you could stand too much peace and quiet, Sanada-chan?" Rowen, a blue haired youth asked. His Brooklyn accent dripped with faked innocence.  
"I can make my own noise, and DON'T CALL ME CHAN!"  
"What kind of noise?" Kento asked. Kento was a large, muscled man with bluish-black hair in serious need of a comb. Ryo's face turned red and Sage's reaction to Ryo's face was to laugh. Sage, a head full of blond hair sat Zara down on his lap laughing. The boy sitting across the table from him had rusty red-brown hair and Renae invited herself onto his lap.  
"That's none of your damn business, Kento," Adrianna informed curtly. She walked over to Ryo still standing at the bottom of the stairs. Syaoran behind him. Fai stood in a corner opposite from where Syaoran was currently standing on the stairs, laughing. Kurogane was still upstairs - as was Sakura. "Besides," she continued, "it's not like YOU'VE ever heard any kind of noise in your life, virgin." Kento's eyes went as wide as saucers.  
"HEY!" he went to protest but was cut off by his best friend giggling.  
"What are you laughing for, Cye?" Renae asked the rusty brown-red haired man, who's lap she currently occupied.. "We make enough noise of our own." Cye sputtered in protest.  
"Whoa wh-wh-what? We do not!" The four men in the room other than Cye and not belonging to Syaoran's group laughed.  
"What are you getting all embarrassed for, Cye?" Sage asked, raising an accusing eyebrow; a smile on his face  
"Alright, alright guys," Ryo called the attention of the inhabitants of the room  
"What?" Rowen asked.  
Mia walked in from the kitchen grinning from overhearing the commotion. "We have some people to introduce to you."  
"Cool, are they more exchange students?" Kento asked bluntly.  
"No, they're travelers in need of a place to stay," Mia replied. She set a plate full of drinks onto the table.  
"My name is Syaoran," Syaoran introduced stepping forward off the stairs. Ryo moved to stand by his wife whom had walked away from the group and him, and was currently leaning up against the wall between Syaoran and Fai. Fai stepped forward next.  
"My name is Fai D. Flourite but you can call me Fai. Our two friends upstairs should be down shortly to say hello." As if on cue, Sakura appeared at the top of the stairs. Syaoran extended a hand to guide her down the last two steps.  
"Ooo, a gentleman," Kento whispered elbowing Rowen in the side. The two of them snickered. No one else heard Kento, except for Fai whom was standing next to them.  
"It's in his nature," Fai replied quietly.  
"Really, he's just naturally like that?" Kento whispered unbelieving.  
"Yes. As we told Ryo-san, Mia-san, and Adrianna-san we're not from this country, and in his country the people are openly courteous." Fai spoke loud enough for all to hear, in hopes he wouldn't have to repeat himself later.  
Rowen quirked an eyebrow at him and spoke up, "So what country are you guys from anyway?"  
"Yeah," Cye quipped, "Where are you from?"  
"I am from from the country of Clow," Sakura spoke up. Mia went to ask where that was but before she could say anything Fai started.  
"It doesn't matter really where I'm from. I journey with these two," Fai smiled gleefully, as if glad to escort two adorable, love-struck teenagers.  
"What, do you not know where you're from or something?" Kento asked confused. Him being a foreigner himself, Kento understood the oddities of a new country, and to him lineage mattered, especially with a family restaurant to keep up.  
"Nah, it's nothing like that, it's just that I enjoy traveling. I like traveling much more than staying in my home country."  
"I'm originally from Japan," Kurogane spoke up as he descended the stairs, having overheard the conversation. The group looked startled at each other over the way Kurogane worded how he was from where they were already at.  
"Welcome back, then," Ryo offered.  
"It appears as though we're in Japan," Fai informed his group jokingly. The entire group, minus Kurogane, laughed although only the four travelers understood the significance of what Fai had really said.  
"It's not the Japan I remember," Kurogane covered easily.  
Ryo cocked his head, "You from a different area then?"  
"You could say that." Ryo nodded.  
"Why are you traveling?" One of the six females in the room - one with odd, lavender hair - asked.  
"I'm an archaeologist," Syaoran stated. "We're looking for a certain artifact that's supposed to be here in Japan in this area."  
"Oh, okay, cool. By the way, my name is Vixen. This girl next to me is Kya."  
"Hiya," The pink-haired woman waved.  
"I'm Renae and this sexy bitch sitting next to me..."  
"...is Zara!" Syaoran looked odd at the way Zara allowed Renae to call her a bitch.  
"Those two are the twins. If you're smart you'll avoid them. They're hazardous to your health," Adrianna informed.  
"HEY!" Renae and Zara protested. The only thing stopping the two from attacking Adrianna, who probably could've beaten the two in a match anyway, were the men whose laps the twins were in. The blue-haired man standing in the back next to Fai introduced himself as Rowen, which momentarily sidetracked the twins from fighting, and the Bluish-Black haired man next to him introduced himself as Kento.  
"I'm Sage," The blond sitting down with Zara on his lap waved.  
"And I'm Cye Mouri. Just call me Cye," The rusty-haired man waved from his bad vantage point. He sat with his back to the guests, what with Renae on his lap and unable to really turn around much.  
"Alright," Mia smiled, "Now that we're all introduced why don't we let our guests sit."  
"Hey, hey," Rowen protested, "Technically everyone here except for you, Ryo, and Adrianna are guests. We all have our own places - and they're not here."  
"Yes, well you're practically family so get over it," Mia grinned.  
"Owch. You hear that Ro? Cye? She just miffed us!" Cye grinned as he pushed Renae up gently and stood up from the table to make room.  
"You don't have to move on our behalf," Syaoran protested.  
"Don't worry," Cye spoke - Syaoran noted the odd accent - in an assuring voice, "We'll be sitting down again soon. She's just making us get up so she can count the chairs easier, without us sprawling them out. It's mostly the girls..."  
"Hey!" Renae, Zara, Kya, and Vixen protested.  
"... but it still makes it easier." Syaoran nodded.  
"...five... six... seven, eight, nine, ten, and four extra plus me. Alright. Ryo, would you mind coming with me to get a few more chairs?" The table currently only had ten chairs, four on each side and one on each end.  
"Sure, no problem." Ryo bounced himself off the wall and went to help Mia. He came back carrying three chairs and she followed with two chairs of her own. "Just put one on each side of the table and the extra on an end. These two can go on the other end." Ryo sat next to Mia at the head of the table, and Adrianna next to him, all on the end. Sage, Zara, Renae, Cye, and Kya all sat on one side. The end had Rowen and Kento. The fourth side had Vixen sitting next to Fai, Sakura, Syaoran and last, next to Mia at the head of the table, was Kurogane.  
"So," Cye began, "what kind of artifact are you looking for around here?"  
"We're looking for a feather," Syaoran stated simply. Mia left at some point during conversation and recruited Kento's help to bring food in from the kitchen. They continued talking and listening to each other, especially Syaoran as he asked many questions of what the country was like.  
"Would you believe me if I told you there was a mystical battle here a few years ago?" Rowen asked, trying to sound as if he was pulling Syaoran's chain.  
"Actually, it wouldn't be too hard for us to believe you," Fai smiled from his spot near Rowen. Mia, the Ronin's and their wives/fiance's looked at the group confused. "We've had our fair share of mystical forces."  
"Really?" Mia asked across the table. Fai nodded  
"Yeah. Sometimes it can be a real pain in the ass," Kurogane muttered from his end of the table. The group all laughed.  
"Trust me, we totally hear you on that," Ryo grinned.  
As the night went on the group got to know each other. By the end of the night everyone was sitting scattered around the table. Kurogane didn't really seem to care all to much and had his chair back against the wall listening. Sakura got along well with pretty much everyone, as did Fai. Syaoran talked mostly with Ryo about the mystical forces that had threatened the Mortal Realm not too long ago. Exhausted after a long day of talking, the group finally decided to say "Good night" and head off to bed. Mia lingered at the table awhile until everyone had departed. Her, Ryo, and Adrianna were the last three up.  
"Well, that was certainly an interesting night," Mia stated simply.  
"Tch, yeah. They've dealt with mystical forces. For all we know they could be working for the Dynasty," Adrianna snorted. Ryo laughed.  
"They could, but that's very doubtful. Trust me, the Dynasty could never teach someone who's evil enough to work for then to act as innocent as Sakura-san."  
"True... but you never know. As leader of the Ronin Warriors you should be more cautious." "Enough talking for tonight, I'm going to bed," Mia informed with a smile. "Good night you two."  
"Night, Mia," they both chimed. Ryo linked arms with Adrianna and they walked up the stairway to their own bedroom.

Reviews:

Alice: The reason I have it in between Rekord and Acid Rain Tokyo (ART) is because in ART everything changed. Syaoran left and Real Syaoran came. Sakura got majorly depressed. Fai lost his humor and didn't joke around as much - if anything he got almost as depressed as Sakura. Syaoran felt as though he was the bad guy because he took Clone Syaoran's place - even if it wasn't his intention. Kurogane was the rock that held everything together. Basically it's where everything "fell apart" if you will. But you know all that. The reason I mention it is because that's why I chose in between Rekord and ART. I wanted the story line as far as possible without everything being changed. I didn't want to do it at the end of the series because the series wasn't finished two-three years ago when I was brainstorming this story. The timeline fit for me. I basically just went in and sliced the storyline in between Rekord and ART and pushed them apart to slip in my little story.

BTW: I hate the TV series. I would never base a story on it.

x x x

Ria: Thanks! I hated the prologue, lol. I just couldn't figure out how to do it right and that's what I ended up with. (Kurogane's change in attitude will be explained)

* * *

Chapter One... done. Wow. I never thought I'd hear myself say that! (I've been working :cough:procrastinating:cough: on this story for about 3 years)

Anyway, to help some of you out who've never seen the EPIC show, Ronin Warriors (hahahahaha - any who have will laugh at the "EPIC"ness) the five Ronin Warriors - all boys - fight the evil dynasty (the nether realm - a different world) from taking over the mortal realm. Think Sailor Moon with guys and 80s slang. The Jeweled Warriors is a story my sister wrote - and yeah... all five JWs ended up with the five RW. Mary-Sue alert going off higher than my gay-dar whenever Chizuru is freaking out over Orihime (BLEACH). Anyway, you should figure it out easily enough and if not, tell me so I can edit the chapters to make it easier.

Nikki Kino


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